U.S. Frost Dates by Weather Station

NOAA station USC00250435 · Nebraska

Frost Dates for Auburn, NE

NOAA weather station Auburn 5 ESE (USC00250435), Nebraska · elevation 930 ft (284 m) · hardiness zone 5b*

  • Lower-risk planting dateafter May 6only 1 spring in 10 still has a frost later
  • Typical last frostApril 2450% chance of a frost after it
  • Typical first fall frostOctober 1050% chance of a frost before it
  • Frost-free season167 daystypical year, 32°F
  • Hardiness zone5bcalculated*

The year at a glance

Frost season at Auburn, NESpring: a frost after April 10 in 9 years out of 10, after April 24 in half of the years, after May 6 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before September 25 in 1 year out of 10, before October 10 in half of the years, before October 23 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 167 days.JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLast frost ~Apr 24First frost ~Oct 10Frost season at Auburn, NESpring: a frost after April 10 in 9 years out of 10, after April 24 in half of the years, after May 6 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before September 25 in 1 year out of 10, before October 10 in half of the years, before October 23 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 167 days.JFMAMJJASONDLast frost ~Apr 24First frost ~Oct 10
frost likely chance fading 90% → 10% frost-free in a typical yearThe year at a glance. Blue: frost is likely; the gradient fades as the chance drops from 90% to 10%; green: the frost-free part of a typical year.

Frost dates (32°F)

Probability of frost, based on 30 years of NOAA records (1991–2020 normals)
ChanceLast frost in spring afterFirst frost in fall before
10% (unlikely)May 6September 25
50% (typical)April 24October 10
90% (likely)April 10October 23
Frost-free season (32°F, 50% chance)
167 days
Hard frost (28°F), last in spring, 50% chance after
April 15
Hard frost (28°F), first in fall, 50% chance before
October 20

The last 15 years (2006–2020 normals)

Typical last frost April 24 (same as the 30-year normal), typical first fall frost October 10. Frost-free season 169 days.

A shorter, more recent NOAA period. The 30-year normals above remain the main reference: 15 years carry more year-to-year noise.

Add these dates to your calendar Yearly reminders for the typical last frost, the lower-risk planting date and the typical first fall frost (.ics).

How the chance of frost changes with the date

Spring at Auburn: chance of a frost after this dateSpring, chance of a frost after the date: 10% May 6, 20% May 2, 30% April 29, 40% April 27, 50% April 24, 60% April 21, 70% April 18, 80% April 15, 90% April 10. Observed last spring frost in recent years: 2021 May 5, 2022 May 22, 2023 May 3, 2024 April 21, 2025 April 15, 2026 May 2.Spring: last frostChance of a frost after this date10%50%90%Apr 1May 1May 6Apr 24Apr 102021: May 52022: May 222023: May 32024: April 212025: April 152026: May 2Fall at Auburn: chance of a frost before this dateFall, chance of a frost before the date: 10% September 25, 20% September 30, 30% October 3, 40% October 7, 50% October 10, 60% October 13, 70% October 15, 80% October 19, 90% October 23. Observed first fall frost in recent years: 2021 October 16, 2022 October 8, 2023 October 7, 2024 October 7, 2025 October 22.Fall: first frostChance of a frost before this date10%50%90%Oct 1Nov 1Sep 25Oct 10Oct 232021: October 162022: October 82023: October 72024: October 72025: October 22
Two charts, because spring and fall answer different questions: in spring, the chance that a frost still comes after a date; in fall, the chance that the first frost has already come before it. NOAA publishes these odds from 10% to 90%, so the lines stop there. ◆ marks the actual date in each recent year.

What actually happened in recent years

Observed dates of the last spring and first fall frost (32°F) at this station; ◆ marks them on the charts above
YearLast spring frostFirst fall frost
2021May 5October 16
2022May 22October 8
2023May 3October 7
2024April 21October 7
2025April 15October 22
2026May 2season not over yet

What these dates mean

May 6 is the cautious spring date, giving a gardener only a 10 % chance of a light frost later and therefore a reliable point to set out tender crops. The earlier spring date of April 10 carries a 90 % chance of a frost and should be treated as a gamble.

At this station the 50 % light-frost dates are April 24 in spring and October 10 in fall; each marks the point where a frost is equally likely to occur before or after. The median hard-frost dates are April 15 and October 20, and hard frosts are more damaging because they reach 28 °F, a temperature that can kill many plants that survive a 32 °F light frost. For a cautious fall plan the date to finish harvesting tender crops is September 25, which has only a 10 % chance that a light frost has already arrived.

How to read the probabilities

The dates are probabilities from 30 years of weather, not a forecast for this year.

  • Spring: "10% after May 6" means that in about one spring out of ten a frost still happens after that date. The 90% date is the earliest: a frost after it happens in most years.
  • Fall: "10% before September 25" means that in about one fall out of ten the first frost arrives before that date.
  • 50% is the typical date: half of the years are earlier, half are later.
  • A light frost (32°F) damages tender plants; a hard frost (28°F) also stops most hardy vegetables.

Nearby weather stations

Map of weather stations near Auburn, NENumbered nearest stations: 1 — near Falls City, NE — 22 mi; 2 — Tecumseh, NE — 24 mi; 3 — Nebraska City, NE — 24 mi; 4 — Sidney, IA — 26 mi; 5 — Syracuse, NE — 31 mi.NEMOKSIA25 mi · 40 km1. near Falls City, NE — 22 mi12. Tecumseh, NE — 24 mi23. Nebraska City, NE — 24 mi34. Sidney, IA — 26 mi45. Syracuse, NE — 31 mi5
  1. near Falls City, NE 22 mi (35 km)
  2. Tecumseh, NE 24 mi (38 km)
  3. Nebraska City, NE 24 mi (38 km)
  4. Sidney, IA 26 mi (42 km)
  5. Syracuse, NE 31 mi (50 km)

Sources

* Hardiness zone 5b: zone derived from PRISM 2023 grid at the station location (not the official USDA map). Source data: PRISM Group, Oregon State University.

Station coordinates: 40.3706, -95.7469.